The Doctor Knows Best
by whimsical-one-ga
Summary: My response to New Years Challenge on Chit Chat on Authors Corner.  Prompts ended up being Hotch and Reid with resolution for Hotch to smile more.  My first challenge, now I know where they get the name.  NO SLASH, Friendship only.
1. Chapter 1

_Authors Note: Welcome to my first challenge fic, written in response to the New Years Challenge on Chit Chat on Author's Corner Forum. I signed up with the character of Hotch, with his resolution being that he would smile more and awaited my assignment for the other half of the pairing. I will confess that as soon as I signed up I started mentally planning different scenarios depending on what character I might be assigned and had rough sketches in my head of how it could play out depending on characters._

_I knew I probably wouldn't be lucky enough to get one of the women, but the one I was silently begging from the beginning to **not get **was Reid because he was the only one I personally struggled a little with how to fit that dynamic together. Now I know why they call them challenges and wonder who read my mind to assign him to me, lol. That said, it was fun to sign up and be put in a position where I had to write outside my comfort zone even if it may not be my best work and the challenge was definitely helpful in getting me to think outside the box. _

_I did consult a beta for some brainstorming when I decided the bald look was not for me after spending a week struggling with where to go with it. So many thanks to Kitty (starofoberon) who supplied me with a couple of brilliant ideas while we emailed back and forth that allowed me to combine a total of 3 abandoned attempts into one fic that came together. She helped me not go totally AU as I was originally beginning to resign myself to having to do. So her help is much appreciated. She helped with brainstorming, but grammatical/punctuation errors are all mine. _


	2. Resolutions

"You ready for school sport?" Hotch called through the apartment as he waited by the front door, trying not to act impatient as he waited for his 7 year old son. Jack had insisted that he could get ready by himself and Hotch was trying to let his son have this stroke of independence even as he watched the minute hand on the clock and realized he was going to be late to work. Taking measured breaths he told himself that being 15 minutes late to work would not be a problem and reminded himself of his priorities. This self-talk helped calm the pressure he could feel starting to build within and just as he felt it rising again his son appeared, backpack in hand and a wide grin on his face that made the wait worth it.

"I got ready for my last day of school this year all by myself Daddy." Jack beamed up at his father, his pride in himself evident.

"Yes you did, you're growing into such a big boy." Hotch praised his son, hoping that he would do a good job of raising a self-confident and successful young man as he knew Jack would grow much faster than it was possible to imagine. Once in the car Hotch waited only long enough to be sure Jack had successfully buckled himself in before he pulled out of the driveway to take Jack to his last day of school before winter break began.

As Hotch drove the familiar route he let his mind wander as his son was apparently focused on a book the school had sent home with him to read and report back to class on. Hotch frowned as he thought about all the work waiting for him as soon as he arrived at the office, it was time for employee evaluations again and with 2011 coming to a close there were numerous year end reports that had to be completed and turned in for the first of the year. Hotch tried not to let his mind wander to the thoughts of what further budget cuts would mean if his reports did not support the amount they were given. The BAU was already operating on a skeleton budget, if there was another significant cut it would mean losing an agent and he did not want to have to make the decision on who that would have to be as each member was indispensable to the team they had formed.

"Daddy, we're here," Jack's young voice jarred Hotch from his thoughts as he realized they were indeed pulling up into the stream of cars in front of Jack's school.

"Thanks," Hotch responded turning his focus back to his son. "So what are you doing in school today?" He asked, knowing he would rather think about his son's day than his own.

"We're talking about our New Year Resolutions today." Jack answered excitedly, stumbling slightly over the phrase as he shared it with his father. "It's something we plan to do for the next year, mine is that I'll keep my room cleaner." Jack shared seriously, then paused as if to think a minute. "What's yours Daddy? Our teacher said everyone should make one."

Hotch paused, the question making him think, he couldn't remember the last time he had made a resolution for a new year. He had a vague memory of making one to spend more time at home in the early days of his marriage to Haley while he was trying to balance his marriage with his FBI career and knew he obviously hadn't done very well with that one. Jack was still looking at him expectantly so he took an easier route. "What do you think it should be?" He asked lightly, interested to hear what his son might identify as something he thought his father should change, expecting something that would benefit his son, such as bringing home more ice cream, or letting Jack have more sleepovers.

Jack took the question seriously, his dark brows pulling together in almost a mirror image of his fathers as he considered a response. Hotch was surprised when his son looked at him seriously and shared his suggestion. "I think you should try to smile more next year." Jack said with a confident tone as he watched his father's reaction of obvious surprise.

"Smile more?" Hotch finally repeated as he studied his son. "But I smile." He said in a vain attempt to defend himself even though he knew that getting defensive against a 7 year old was an overreaction.

"Sometimes you do," Jack acknowledged, "but you look sad a lot too," he spoke sagely as if this was a well-known fact, "I want you to be happier and smile more like other daddies do."

Hotch was at a loss as to how to respond to his child, finally saying the only thing he could as they pulled up to their turn at the school doors. "OK son, I will make it my New Years Resolution to smile more." Hotch agreed, rewarded by a happy parting smile from Jack who then bounded out of the car and ran into the school clutching his book.

Hotch found himself seriously considering what Jack had suggested as he drove to work, taking a moment of introspection to consider the truth that might lie in Jack's observation.


	3. Failure?

Hotch found himself seriously considering what Jack had asked as he continued fighting the traffic through the drive to work. As Hotch entered the BAU 15 minutes late he quickly scanned the tired faces of his teammates who straightened up as they saw him exit the elevators area. Spontaneously deciding to try a smile on for size, the unit chief forced one on to his face as he walked by and said good morning to his team, curious to see what reaction he might get. He was rewarded by some obviously surprised looks and felt a pang that his son had been so on target.

"Is something wrong Hotch?" Reid asked tentatively, uncharacteristically being the first to speak despite all the profilers now carefully studying their boss.

"What do you mean?" Hotch asked almost irritably, his smile having quickly disappeared.

"You came in with that weird smile on your face, we aren't quite sure what to think." Morgan interjected, coming to the rescue of his younger colleague.

"Fine," Hotch huffed, determined to get it over with as quickly as possible knowing they wouldn't let up on what had caused his apparently strange behavior unless they heard the truth. The last thing he wanted was for them to waste their day coming up with different explanations for what he had thought would be a simple attempt to practice his new resolution. "Jack told me this morning he thought I should smile more as my New Years resolution, so I thought I would try it out, but obviously that didn't work."

The rapidly souring mood of their boss was not lost on the profilers, though they had the insight to know that the mood was likely due more to internalized feelings of failure as he was already stressed trying to be a single parent with a demanding career and likely read into his sons request an indication that he was lacking in his role as a parent, though they wisely kept silent as profiling each other was a strict no-no.

"You know you can't just plaster a smile on your face, the happiness has to come from within." JJ said sweetly, trying to be helpful to their obviously stressed unit chief, though her words had the opposite effect as he responded curtly.

"Yes Agent Jareau, I am well aware of that, I know a thing or two about emotions too believe it or not. As soon as I find something to be happy about instead of so many people dying needless deaths at the hands of psychopaths then maybe I can smile." He paused, aware by her stricken expression and the silent rebuke from the other profilers he had overreacted. "I'm sorry JJ, it's a rough time of year for me, I didn't mean to take it out on you." His tone was genuinely apologetic, and considering how rare his apologies were they were generally taken seriously.

"It's ok," the blonde agent responded forgivingly mustering up another smile as she tried to recover. Hotch seemed to be about to say more before abruptly heading for his office as if to keep from doing any further damage.

"Wow, I didn't expect that," Morgan exhaled as he watched the door close behind the unit chief.

"I guess the holidays are still hard on him, I wonder if he was talking about the job or Haley," Prentiss mused.

"Probably both," Rossi said, having observed the interaction from a separate vantage point.

"I wish there was some way that we could help." JJ said, her own experience dealing with being a single parent helping her empathize with how easy it was to take any indication that they weren't doing enough as parents to heart.

The team mused further about how they could help their obviously unhappy friend, but no one seemed to have any answers and no one seemed to notice Reid adopt a familiar distant look on his face as he thought quietly to himself about what had just transpired.

"Maybe we'll come up with something in time for the New Years Eve Party," Prentiss finally suggested, assuming they were all still going to get together along with Jack and Henry to ring in the New Year.


	4. New Years Eve

The holiday season seemed to speed by as the team worked and Hotch turned out the required reports, with at least some relief that they were thankfully not called out on any cases. They were all ready for some much needed rest and fun when they convened as planned at Rossi's house to ring in the New Year.

Everyone had come single as Will and JJ had broken up several months before, making Jack and Henry the only two present who were not officially members of the BAU team. Kevin had planned to attend with Garcia but a last minute computer system attack from some hackers determined to have fun on the eve of a new year had required that he work through the night to keep the agency systems safe. Garcia had offered to join him but had been torn, not wanting to miss the team gathering, relieved when Kevin assured her he could handle it and that they would celebrate later.

The evening passed quickly with most of the agents in good spirits as the team enjoyed a meal of pasta, with wine and some grape juice for the children, talking about anything and everything but work while they ate before they finished and all gathered in the living room. As they casually lounged in the living area they mostly enjoyed chatting and killing time waiting for the ball to drop to signal the end of 2011.

While his team enjoyed the festivities Hotch had barely touched his food and mostly remained quiet. He deluded himself into thinking that they were having too much fun and he was being subtle in his distance from the festivities. He worked to keep the mask hiding his pain in place as he tried not to remember past countdowns that triggered happy memories of the life he used to have before things went sour with Haley. He fought against memories of their first New Year kiss as high school students and tried not to sink into yet again replaying all that had happened since those years of innocence and fun to the ending point of her body on their bedroom floor that had forever changed not only his life but Jack's as well.

Of course in a room of profilers nothing went unnoticed. While they didn't speak about it, everyone present except the children were well aware of the unhappiness that their unit chief was trying to keep hidden as he remained withdrawn from the festivities. But despite several exchanges of helpless looks between the agents who knew their boss was hurting, no one seemed to know quite what they should do considering how he had responded when JJ had tried to cheer him up only days before. They resigned themselves to trying to carry on as best they could to make the last couple hours of the year enjoyable and hoping that eventually their boss would be able to let go of his demons and join in.

While the adults chatted it was obvious that the Jack and Henry were getting restless even though they were tired.

Everyone including Hotch looked up in surprise when Reid abruptly stood up and moved to the center of the group to sit on an ottoman and beckoned the boys over. "Would you two like to hear a story for the New Year?" He said enticingly and rather loudly, causing other conversation to effectively halt as everyone listened wondering what he was going to suggest next.

"Oooh, will you tell a story with me in it?" Jack immediately latched onto the idea as he perched himself on the adjoining chair, obviously happy to be getting some attention. Henry crawled up right beside him and begged "me too," as the two children huddled together while looking expectantly at the young agent. Their energy was obviously temporarily renewed despite their tiredness and the lateness of the hour.

Though the story was for the two boys, especially Jack, the adults also became quiet, interested in hearing what kind of story Reid would tell.


	5. Storytime

(AN: Italics indicate the fairy tale as opposed to current events)

There were a few exchanged looks of surprise as Reid pulled out a pad and pen and began drawing illustrations as he spoke. They had seen him draw in regards to equations and maps but never realized he was able to do quick sketches as pictures began quickly taking shape on his pad as his voice took on an entertaining tone as he commenced with his children's story.

"_Once upon a time, in the far away land of Quantico, there was a small kingdom called the BAU. It was ruled by a fair and wise king by the name of King Hotchner who had taken the kingdom from Queen Strauss after she was banished to the far away land of rehab. The subjects of the kingdom were happier to have the often unfair and vicious Queen gone."_

There were some obvious grins around the room as the adults settled in further, anticipating a good story from the humorous beginning. Jack and Henry both seemed riveted as they watched the sketches on the pad of a large castle and a king while the story unfolded.

"_As the King ruled the land it became widely known that he was devoted to only two things, the smooth and efficient running of the kingdom and to be a good father to the young Prince Jack. Sadly the young Prince's mother was killed by a very bad man. This was witnessed by several of the kingdom subjects who like the King felt helpless because of their inability to save her even if the bad man was stopped. The King and the Prince were very sad about this and the others in the kingdom were also affected by their sadness."_

Most of the team members stayed focused on Reid as the story continued, though JJ and Rossi both glanced at Hotch to see an unreadable look on his face as he now seemed as focused on the story as the boys while Reid continued to sketch a picture of the King and Prince with sad expressions on their faces.

"_The BAU kingdom was a place where things ran very well under the rule of the king, but there was little happiness as a somber tone settled over the lands. While many subjects considered the king to be a kind and caring man, it was rumored that a curse had been placed on him that made it impossible for him to smile."_

Prentiss choked back a laugh at the description painted by Reid, knowing they had talked many times before about whether the man had forgotten how to smile or not. Whether the children had picked up the real life components of the story yet or not was still a mystery, but they seemed to be enjoying it nonetheless.

"_As the year drew to a close, the king was spending time with the young prince, taking a rare break from his time hearing cases and making decisions about the running of his kingdom to play with a ball on the palace grounds."_

Reid quickly sketched a picture of the father and son with a soccer ball, seemingly oblivious to his audience aside from the two boys.

"_A new year approaches tomorrow," the King announced to his son as they took a break from their playing. _

"_What does that mean father?" The dark haired boy peered up seeking knowledge about this new occasion that he was learning about._

"_There is a custom in our land, that at the beginning of a new year we all make a pledge that we will do something good for us for the year ahead." The King explained patiently._

Reid went through the dialogue, changing the pitch of his voice from a deeper tone for the king to a higher pitched one for the child as he spoke to make the change in characters clear. The children seemed to be enjoying this though Hotch's face remained a mask as the other agents watched curiously, hoping Reid knew what he was doing.

"_Then I will pledge to pick up my toys every day without being asked twice." The young prince grasped the concept quickly, much to the pleasure of his father. "What are you going to pledge Father?" He asked seriously._

"_That is a good question," the king said as he obviously pondered what he might say, having a difficult time coming up with an adequate pledge as he often felt he was already doing all that he could. "Do you have any pledges you think I should make?" The king finally asked his son, curious to see what the lad would think he should change._

"_Yes, I want to see you smile," Prince Jack responded quickly and easily as if the answer had been obvious. "You have been so unhappy, especially since mother was taken away from us. "She told me you used to laugh and smile and that one day I might get to see that."_

Reid's voice had taken on a quieter and more serious tone as he continued sharing the story, his tone serving to draw the two boys in closer as they focused on the sad part of the story while the assembled profilers became even more alert as Reid's metaphorical description of Hotch and the team continued, they could all feel that he was treading on thin ice but Reid ignored them as he pressed on in his story.

"_The simple heartfelt words of the child touched his father's heart and the King made his resolve to let his son and other members of his kingdom see that he could smile._

_As the night passed and the New Year began, the King began making efforts to force a smile on his face. But sadly he knew he was failing miserably as every time he peered in the mirror it was obvious that it was false and did not reach any other aspect of his countenance._

Reid didn't look up, though the other agents could now see that Hotch's expression had changed to one of his patented glares. None of them would have been surprised to find that Reid was feeling the heat from across the room if it were possible. Hotch was obviously becoming more unhappy that his pain was being incorporated into what was apparently supposed to be a children's tale. But short of standing up and walking over to disrupt the story, Reid had already made it clear that he would not look away from the children or his notepad to allow himself to be slowed by the looks of the adults in the room.

_The King then asked his good friend the doctor what he should do,"_ Reid continued, drawing a picture of a thoughtful king on a throne with a skinny young man before him.

"_The Doctor was brilliant, unquestionably the smartest man in all the land_." Reid described in an almost hushed tone, inspiring a sense of awe in the boys._ "The doctor pulled out a small bottle with a light purple liquid and showed it to the king, saying I have your cure right here your majesty."_

Reid continued with his sketch adding the potion bottle, ignoring the expressions of amusement from the team at his own self-description.

"_I don't take magic potions, leave me be." The king said angrily, annoyed that he had asked his friend for help to only be offered a ridiculous potion._

Reid then busily sketched a picture of the angry king, pointing his finger with a slender back disappearing from the side of the page.

_Even though he felt his friend had failed him, the King was determined to keep his pledge to his son, so on the third day of the New Year he issued a proclamation, calling his town criers to begin spreading the word throughout his kingdom. The proclamation read that whoever could give the king the power to smile would be given great riches, up to half the kingdom. There were great murmurings among the people as the word spread. King Hotchner shut down the daily court proceedings and sat in his throne as people lined up to try their hand at making him smile. Prince Jack would occasionally sit at his side to marvel at the sights that began to appear though it was soon obvious to all gathered that this would not be an easy feat as the king retained his stony countenance though various wonders and marvels that were presented to him._

_After the second day the line had dwindled away as word trickled out that it would take an extraordinary feat indeed to make the king smile as word of the many failures spread. So began several days of quiet gloom as gray clouds settled over the castle while the King and Prince went about their days, reopening the court to attend to business as usual waiting for any announcements that another subject of the kingdom might have arrived to meet the challenge._

The team glanced around at each other, confirming that they were all intrigued by the story and where Reid might go with it even though Hotch still seemed to be glaring daggers in the direction of the youngest agent.


	6. The Chef

There was a pause in the story as Henry and Jack wiggled in the chair to get comfortable again, their eyes imploring Reid to continue with the story as the clock inched closer to midnight. Reid didn't disappoint as he flipped to a new page in his tablet.

"_It had been four days with no new arrivals, until the King was told that a loyal subject desired an audience with him, ready to attempt the challenge to make him smile. After the King and Prince settled in their thrones, the large iron doors that led into the inner palace were opened to allow passage. The King watched solemnly as a man approached with two servants following pulling a small cart. The man bent on one knee as was customary to introduce himself to the king. _

As Reid sketched a picture of a kneeling man that obviously resembled Rossi, the older man found himself the target of the amused looks of the team, shrugging it off as they all turned their attention back to the youngest profiler who was still weaving his tale.

"_Your highness, my name is David, I am but a humble chef, but have brought my offerings before you." The king studied the sincere looking older man who had streaks of gray in his dark hair and beard. The king found himself intrigued by the enticing scents wafting towards the throne._

"_I bring you a succulent goose roast, seasoned with savory herbs from the lands of the far east," the chef announced as he handed a dish to the guard to be passed to the king. "I often kill my own game for these dishes, searching for only the finest specimens of the animal kingdom to prepare my dishes with." As King Hotchner and the young prince dined on the many excellent offerings presented to them, the king could certainly swear that he had never tasted food as good as this anywhere. As the kings stomach warmed from the good food he felt a sense of pleasure, but it was not enough to bring a smile to his face._ _As it was obvious after the last dish that the chef had failed he began backing away from the king with a respectful nod."_

"_Wait," the King commanded, everyone halting at his powerful voice. "Chef, you have not caused me to break into smiles but your meal has far outshone anything that I have ever tasted within these walls. I would be honored if you would join our royal family and run the castle kitchen. You would have all the finest ingredients at hand to work with and a substantial salary." The king made his offer generous, still feeling the warmth in his stomach from the delicious meal._

"_I would be honored," the chef bowed as he backed towards the door, "I will get my affairs in order and return tomorrow your Majesty," he announced, obviously very happy to have been invited to join the kingdom._

Rossi appeared to puff slightly with pride despite the fact that the entire story was obviously fictional, but it still felt good to have his cooking talents recognized in the story that was unfolding.

"_After the chef left, the doctor appeared again. "Now will you try my potion," the young doctor requested watching the chef go, "I promise that this will solve all your problems.""_

"_I said no," the King responded with a scowl, obviously not willing to budge on his decision about the uselessness of potions as he again banished his friend the doctor from the room. _

The crestfallen look on Jack and Henry's face was enough to indicate that they were still very much involved in the story unraveling and sympathized with the doctor who had already emerged as the hero of the story.


	7. Knight & the Ladies

The Knight and the Ladies

_With the wide range of foods and spices available to the new chef the most wonderful odors were now wafting through the castle causing much happiness to those who lived, worked and ate within the castle walls. As the king got to know the chef, he realized that he was a wise man and good friend in addition to his cooking abilities and often found himself going into the kitchens when he needed a break._

"But what about the doctor?" Jack asked again, a plaintive tone in his voice, though he stopped at the hushed "just wait," that Reid gave him to keep him from disrupting the story.

"_The king was soon summoned again, during a time that the young prince was busy with his studies. There was a new subject who had requested an audience with the king and the king paid close attention to the handsome man with a dark complexion who approached, bowing on one knee as he introduced himself to the king. "Your highness, I am Sir Derek, from the northernmost corner of this vast kingdom. I witnessed the tragic death of your wife two years ago as I was rushing to help, but alas I was too late. I do know however what can help a man smile after such heartache." He announced triumphantly. Standing aside he gestured to the entryway. "I present to you Lady Emily, and Lady Jennifer."_

Hotch could feel his cheeks slightly burn at the subtle message in the story that he was sure was going over the heads of the young boys. He did not chance a look at Derek or either of the women as he remained focused on Reid's newest sketch showing the muscular knight and two women.

"_The king looked at the women, first focusing on the dark haired beauty with a regal bearing who seemed to have no nervousness despite coming face to face with the ruler of the land. His gaze then shifted to the fair blonde who also met his eyes with no sign of fear, though she was obviously more demure as her eyes shifted back to the floor as he continued to stare at her beauty a moment longer, while both women were indeed beautiful it was well known that the king preferred blondes." _

It was JJ's turn to feel her cheeks flame slightly as she found herself now caught up in Reid's storytelling and she began to have a little more empathy for what Hotch was going through feeling details of his life exposed in a supposedly simple tale. She chose this time to focus on Henry, seeing his eyelids drooping as he fought to stay awake.

Reid's voice dropped his voice an octave again to denote a more serious part of the story. The boys were still riveted even though he knew there were words they didn't understand, they were still able to follow the plot.

"_I do not feel ready to bring another woman into my chambers, " King Hotchner finally spoke, though he could agree the women were beautiful. "Oh no my lord, you misunderstand," the Knight asserted. Lady Emily is a skilled diplomat, she is the daughter of our Ambassador to the CIA kingdom to our west. Lady Jennifer is skilled at handling the public opinion and presenting news to the kingdom. She is able to handle the most bothersome gossipmongers, she is also a widow with a young son named Henry who is only a little younger than the prince._ _With two such beautiful women in your castle you would have not only beautiful companions but also useful assistants in managing your court." The knight finished his presentation looking very assured that his companions would bring a smile from the solemn king. _

Hotch finally chanced a look at the women mentioned as well as Derek and was pleased to notice he was not the only one looking slightly uncomfortable at the story at this point. Reid continued the story boldly relieved that no one had tried to stop him as of yet.

"_What may I ask are your skills," the king finally inquired of the stalwart knight, sensing there was much more to the man before him than his romantic inclinations as it was obvious he was recommending the young women for more than their professional skills. _

_Surprised at the turn of subject the knight responded. "I am a skilled fighter sire, I have learned hand to hand combat techniques from far across the kingdom, I have rarely been beaten and am an expert at apprehending criminals." He tried but failed in his attempt to sound modest. The king considered this as he once again studied the two women. He had to admit they were indeed fair and could feel a desire to have them both remain in his kingdom especially if they were as skilled as the knight had presented at dealing with those who tried to stir up trouble in his kingdom with the increase in gossipmongers and troublemakers who maintained a loyalty to the Queen. There was also the lure of a potential playmate for his often lonely son that caused him to again extend an invitation to the unlikely trio._

_The disappointment on the young knight's face was obvious as it was clear that while there had been an almost imperceptible quirk at the corner of the King's mouth, and a twinkle of light that had briefly appeared in his eyes, he had not yet reached the point of a full blown smile._

"_I appreciate your offering," King Hotchner finally declared, "You have brought some lovely ladies who would no doubt be a welcome addition to my kingdom, assisting me in handling those who come within my court and within the gates of this palace. I would be most honored if you would all join our castle family. The young prince would also enjoy a playmate." He spoke directly to Lady Jennifer seeing her cheeks_ _become pink as she averted her eyes back to the floor. "Knight, you would be welcome to join our ranks and help train our soldiers in these new techniques that you speak of," he offered generously._

"_I would be honored sire," all three subjects replied in unison. _

"_Then go, tend to your obligations and I will expect you to join us tomorrow." King Hotchner offered, watching as they respectfully backed from the throne._

Reid was quiet for a moment, flipping the page again, obviously in thought before he continued, very much aware that the earlier festivities had been forgotten as the whole team studied his analogy along with the two children. He wondered for a moment if he should proceed and when his meaning might become clear, but knew he had come too far to back out now. He knew he had probably overstepped the bounds a little by making an even veiled reference to Hotch's well-known soft spot for their blonde agent but it had seemed fitting at the time as the two were linked in the role as single parents if nothing else.

_As the king sat making arrangements for the addition of the newest members to his castle his friend the doctor approached again, a hopeful look on his face. "Now are you ready to take the potion," the young doctor all but begged as he held out the vial._

"_I told you no, medicines and potions are for physical illnesses, not something such as this." The King commanded even more brusquely, brushing away the man he had once considered a loyal aide. "I don't want to hear any more from you about this ridiculous potion," the king's voice became angry as he forcefully sent the downcast doctor from the room. _

Hotch studied Reid, wondering what point he was trying to make and just who he was going to identify as the magic person who was supposed to make him smile.


	8. The Oracle

Reid sketched a picture showing the characters of the king, the prince, the chef, the knight, and ladies as he continued the next phase of his story.

_The King was able to tell a difference in his home and felt as if his heart and mind had become a little lighter as the ladies he had invited into his castle were most efficient in handling the troublemakers and how the information within the kingdom was dispersed. The ladies that had joined his home were indeed a pleasure have around, their gentler tones and natures a welcome contrast to the many men who inhabited the castle. The prince appeared to greatly enjoy spending time with the younger boy who had joined the castle. The king greatly appreciated the wisdom and helpfulness of the two women in running the castle, the knight was also proving to be invaluable in terms of training the troops and combatting the occasional villains who tried to invade the peaceful kingdom. It was two days before the King was notified that another subject sought an audience with the King with hopes to win the still unclaimed prize._

"_Please sire will you try my magic potion", the young doctor again approached the determined king, clutching the small bottle in his hand. "I just made a fresh batch for you." He made his plea again while the king waited for the latest person seeking an audience with him to arrive._

_This time the king didn't respond, his furious glare was sufficient enough to send the doctor away again, though this time the doctor had a statement to make. "I will not come to you again sire with my potion, if you change your mind you will need to ask me." He said sadly finally tired of being rebuffed._

"_What have I said about magic?" The king again declared, angrily sending the young man away, growing increasingly tired of the persistence. "I will not ever ask to try your potion and if you ask again then you will be banished from my kingdom." He said with a growl before looking hopefully towards the door as his next guest waited, someone whom many of the servants had already announced was sure to bring a smile to the kings face._

_King Hotchner was at first unsure of what to make of the woman who entered his courtroom, the bright vivid colors she wore were extremely eye catching, and to his astonishment even her hair was pink._

"_Greetings your majesty, I am the goddess of the realm of knowledge, I can help you find the answer to anything you desire to know in regards to all the subjects in this vast land." She announced as she bowed, though the king found it hard to focus on her words considering the colorful outfit she was wearing."_

Reid paused again as he finished sketching the woman who was obviously Garcia, not that they wouldn't have guessed that from the description given.

"Did she look like Lady Gaga?" Jack asked, causing Hotch to blink in surprise that his son even knew who the celebrity was.

"_She did in a way with her clothes, but she was even prettier than the Lady Gaga of whom you speak."_ Reid added, seeing the glow from Garcia at his praise. _"She was not only wise and funny, but she was also very kind and cared about everyone she met, willing to help whenever she could, it was rumored that her heart was big enough to care for the entire BAU kingdom. It had also been rumored that she could make anyone laugh with her bubbly nature."_

Garcia smiled at the unexpected praise and almost felt tears come to her eyes as she also waited for the next part of the story.

"_Despite her colorful attire and cheerful nature, the king was unmoved." _Reid added with a sad voice_, "Lady Penelope had also failed in her attempts to make the king even smile with her colorful clothes and infectious laughter, even though her attempts were not wasted on the rest of the castle family, all of them seeming to enjoy her presence in their midst, especially the handsome knight who found himself moving closer to her radiant beauty."_

"Now does he ask the doctor for help?" Henry interrupted the story, showing for the first time that he was following it just as closely as Jack was.

"Not yet," Reid quickly answered the boy before flipping the sketch pad again to move to another scene.

"_I would like to ask you to join my castle," the king invited the unique visitor, hearing the gasps of surprise from some of the other members of the court at his selection. "I feel it would be helpful to have your vast knowledge and abilities in finding specific people in our kingdom, you would be welcome to join us," he offered extending his scepter to his incredulous guest._

"_Sire, I'm not worthy, but I would be most honored and promise I would do my very best to serve you," her lip trembled as she graciously accepted his offer, bowing repeatedly as she backed out of the castle to pack her things to return._

Reid again flipped a page back adding the entire cast of his story now to the page with the doctor being the only obvious exception.

_The King waited to see if any others approached his kingdom, still hoping the person might come who would help him to meet his goal to smile. However as the days stretched into weeks he began to give up hope. His castle was much more active now with all his new companions, and he found the days more bearable despite the tragedy that continued to overshadow his life. He also found that running his kingdom had become much easier with the help of his capable friends._

_Prince Jack seemed happier with his new playmate Henry and had also made friends with the new members of the large castle family, but still wished that he could see the king smile. _

_As the king began to give up hope he realized that he had not seen his good friend the doctor since the day he had almost banished him from his courtroom and began to feel sad for the way he had treated his friend. The king used every tool at his disposal immediately sending out a request for the presence of the doctor that would echo throughout the halls of the castle and the land beyond._

Reid did look up this time, pleased to see the entire audience captivated all obviously wondering what the mystery cure was going to be. Even though Hotch still seemed less than enthusiastic about starring in a fairy tale he seemed less angry than he had earlier which gave Reid the needed courage to finish his tale.


	9. The Doctor

_After another days wait the King began to worry about the whereabouts of his long time friend and was prepared to unleash the people finding skills of the trusted Penelope, though fortunately the doctor arrived before that was necessary._

_The doctor appeared while the King was surrounded by his entire company, including his son, the chef, the knight, and the three women when the doctor appeared with an air of importance and pride as he realized the king had been humbled in the apparent futility of his quest._

Reid hurriedly sketched a picture of the court gathered while the skinny young man representing the doctor reappeared.

"_I will try your potion, however I first would like to know the ingredients," the King requested, obviously firm on this condition. "I do not want to be drinking anything with bat wings or dog tails."_

"_Nothing like that sire I assure you," the doctor said as he pulled out the small vial and handed it to the king._

"_This is a complex but effective potion, the ingredients are as follows the doctor began the recipe by memory as everyone listened_

_2 parts of a son's love_

_1 part happy memories_

_7 parts friendship_

_5 parts loyalty_

_1 part beauty_

_7 parts support_

_2 parts hope for the future_

_All ingredients are added into a pot of kindness and stirred with care before being sprinkled with a generous amount of respect. It is then placed in a dish of gratitude for good fortune and it is ready to serve. That your highness is my recipe for this potion," the doctor finished with a flourish as he again held up his potion which sparkled in the light of the sun that streamed through the kingdom windows._

_The king finally reached out gingerly to take the bottle from the doctors hand and as the king studied the rich purple color he realized what the brilliant doctor was trying to tell him as he surveyed the faces of those now assembled his kingdom. As the king saw the faces of his son and his new friends he was suddenly aware that he was no longer alone in his trials and warmth began to spread through his chest as a heart long frozen with pain finally began to thaw. The room began to take on a glow as without even opening the bottle of potion the first hints of a smile appeared on the king's face. As the castle watched in awe a full smile appeared and there was much applause and celebrating as everyone cheered for the king had finally found his smile. He was ready to reward the doctor with his well-earned prize, but guess what?" _ Reid paused looking at the children. _"The doctor didn't take the prize, why do you think that is?" _He asked, wondering if his reasoning might be too much for the children to comprehend but despite his tiredness Jack smiled with apparent understanding. "The doctor didn't want the prize, he just wanted to help his friend the king." He said simply, causing smiles around the room at his simplistic yet honest explanation.

"You're right," Reid congratulated him, "and that boys is the end of the story, the king and his friends lived happily ever after." He finished with a happy ending to the obvious delight of the young boys who both smiled sleepily. Reid then chanced a look around the room, seeing almost misty eyed looks among all his colleagues as the remainder of his metaphor was made clear, he had taken the risk of verbalizing for Hotch that his team cared about him and now he awaited the fallout as Hotch slowly scanned the room a cryptic look back in place on his face as he studied the expressions on the agent's faces.

"I have to say something about that story," Hotch finally said, his tone hard. There was something wrong with it." He said, causing Reid's face to fall and mixed expressions of dismay and surprise to ripple throughout the other agents as they braced themselves for his response as he was apparently unmoved by the touching tale.

"The king should have listened to that genius doctor a lot sooner," Hotch said, his feelings no longer a secret as a smile slowly spread across his face, causing matching smiles around the room as his team joined in the moment of shared emotion that was so rare for them to acknowledge basking in the knowledge that Reid had been able to convey something they had all felt but struggled on how to convey it.

"Oh, it's almost midnight," Prentiss suddenly realized as she looked at the clock while Rossi quickly turned on the TV so they could watch the ball drop as the countdown was beginning and Hotch and JJ scooped up their respective sons who were both fighting valiantly to stay awake until the ball dropped as the countdown began.

"Group hug!" Garcia called out, feeling brave after the success of the story that was told and the feeling of togetherness it inspired, also considering most of them didn't have anyone to kiss at the stroke of midnight. To her amazement no one argued as the group began to pull closer and as shouts of Happy New Year and the tune to Auld Lang Syne began playing from the television the agents began to pull together for their first ever group hug.

The End

AN: Pardon if it got too sappy, but well it just seemed to go there, lol.


End file.
